Credit, Evaluation, and Funding

Fall semester:

If the student is not enrolled in the field methods class, he/she can enroll in an individualized study (ANTH 452) to receive credit while they work on their research statement, conduct fieldwork, and engage in a literature review. The advisor will determine the student's grade based on the student's commitment to research (both fieldwork and literature review), their regular communication with the advisor, their willingness to revise and resubmit research objectives and bibliographies that need further development, and the overall quality of the research statement.

Spring semester:

Students will be encouraged to complete their honors thesis in conjunction with the capstone seminar. The committee will work with the instructor of ANTH 400 (capstone) to determine whether the thesis merits Honors or Honors with Distinction. The grade for the thesis will be determined by the capstone faculty and factored into the capstone class grade according to the grading scale established by the instructor. Students whose work is not deemed worthy of honors can use their thesis as the final project for the capstone seminar, thus receiving credit for their work. If a student does not want to do their thesis in conjunction with the capstone, they may register for ANTH 472 (Independent Study).

Funding

Students are encouraged to seek funding from the college to support their research. Two sources of funding are:

Funds for Senior Projects and Student ResearchFunding is available from the Provost's Office to support students during their senior year or the summer before their senior year. Up to $500 will be awarded. The faculty advisor must apply for these funds, and decisions are made on a case-by-case basis. Talk to your faculty advisor if you are interested, and see the Provost's webpage for more details.

Mellon FundsFunding of up to $4,000 will be awarded for living and research expenses for a summer research project. Mellon grants are awarded on a competitive basis after a committee evaluates proposals due in mid-March. The Mellon grants allow students to conduct several weeks of research off-campus, but expect that the student must spend the remainder of the summer in Gettysburg (this is an optimal time to process field-notes and conduct a literature review). Students must work with a faculty advisor who writes a letter of endorsement.